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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. row — to paddle
  13. lie — to recline
  14. date — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. staff — a stick

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com